Pt. Mohd Raza
A Battle for Life and a Story of Resilience
At 7, Mohd Raza from Firoz Nagar, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, has seen more of life than most kids his age. Born with a complex congenital heart condition, he had his first surgeries-PA Band and Glenn procedure-in 2017. However, by these earlier surgeries, the heart condition remained on Raza and now Cath+Fontan is something that would ensure that his heart could work properly and give him a healthy future ahead.
Raza's father Azruddin sells his things on the road and barely manages to make ends meet. He had no savings and couldn't organize even one rupee for the treatment. There, the family was near despair. ₹4 lakhs was much, much more money than he could bring, and this made the family rather weep over Raza's future.
But hope came in the form of the Child Heart Foundation, as their case was taken up through the Hridaan program, a joint initiative by the Child Heart Foundation with the Indian Railway Finance Corporation, IRFC. And so, together, they have stepped forward to bear the cost of the life-saving procedure Raza so desperately needed.
On 25th May 2017, Mohd Raza was admitted to the hospital. It was on this day when he underwent the Cath+Fontan procedure that was done. The veteran doctors ensured that the heart of Raza was now fit enough for its life demands. He was, thus discharged on 31st May 2017; all was well again, and Raza was given a new lease of life.
Azruddin and his family are very grateful. Without the support of Child Heart Foundation and IRFC, Raza may not have been given a second chance of receiving lifesaving surgery that he deserves. They now look towards a brighter future, imagining a life that any child deserves to have.
The account of Raza is an excellent example of how powerful family is, the kindness of community and the difference that could be made by organizations like the Child Heart Foundation and IRFC. His journey will give hope and strength to yet-to-be-discovered families in this war, proving no problem can be too big when people come together to help.